BOATING SAFETY: Victim’s Brother Walks Iowa

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BOATING SAFETY: Victim’s Brother Walks Iowa

An eastern Iowan who lost his brother in a boating accident is walking across the state to create awareness.

Zach Boyd took off from Plattsmouth, NE Sunday morning. He plans to wear a life jacket as he walks 265 miles to Burlington.

That’s where his brother, Jake, and three others died last May in a boating accident on the Mississippi River.

The four people killed were passengers of two jon boats that collided.

The timing of the walk coincides with a weather warm up – a time when more Iowans will hit the water – and a safety reminder by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

DNR say operators need to do a safety check before the season starts and to make sure all their gear works, and that there’s a fire extinguisher and life jackets on board.

They add that the most important advice they can give is to wear a life jacket and watch alcohol consumption. The legal alcohol limit is the same for drivers on the water as it is on the roads – .08 blood alcohol content.